The 19th Annual UW Medicine Salute Harborview Gala, the premier fundraising event to support our mission of caring at Harborview Medical Center, will be held at 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. Please join us at the gala — and help us continue to provide world-class care for people from all walks of life at Harborview!

UW Medicine physicians and staff at Harborview are nationally and internationally recognized experts in their fields, and they provide state-of-the-art care to patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Last year, in fact, they provided over $187 million in charity care. In supporting Harborviews mission programs, gala attendees help support the regions most vulnerable citizens.

Our other special guests include Christian Kapena Ho and his family. Ho was diving into a swimming hole one summer day in Idaho, but things went terribly awry; the landing tore his aorta. The teenager is alive today after receiving life-saving, technologically advanced treatment from UW Medicine surgeon Dr. Benjamin W. Starnes.

Harborview is a tremendous resource for the entire region. And its not too late to join gala festivities; RSVPs are requested by Tuesday, Feb.15, 2011. (You can also follow the gala on Facebook and Twitter.)